By going door-to-door and campaigning on street corners, the socialist workers and youth collected 725 signatures the first two days of the three-week effort. Several working people who met Williams took him up on his suggestion that they join in the petitioning drive and support the campaign.

Construction worker Mike Evans approached Williams as he was collecting signatures on a street corner. "Before you say anything else, tell me do you support unions?" he asked. When Williams said he does, Evans said he is against Newark mayor Sharpe James "who helped get nonunion labor for a lot of buildings in this city. When we picketed those sites he called the cops on us."

Williams told Evans that his campaign "involves building a revolutionary party of workers. The unions are defensive organizations of the working class in its struggles against the employers and their government. That's why we support them."

"That's what I want to hear," Evans said. "I'll help you any way I can. Just give me a call."

Williams also spoke with Linda Boykin, a union member who works at nursing home in the area. After hearing what the socialist candidate had to say she said she would like him to speak at a rally her local union is planning as they prepare for contract talks.

Candidates for mayor are required to collect 1,174 signatures to obtain ballot status. Supporters of the socialist campaign plan to more than double that number and have set a goal of getting 2,500 people to sign up to give Williams a ballot slot.

The first evening of the petitioning drive the socialist campaign hosted a forum with Williams as the keynote speaker.

"My campaign provides a working-class voice of opposition to the imperialist assault on working people. This includes the bipartisan attacks against workers and farmers at home, as well as Washington's military assault in Afghanistan, the Bush admini–stration's drive toward war against Iraq, and Tel Aviv's unrelenting war against the Palestinian people.

"Our campaign is seeking out workers and youth who, through their experiences and actions, are part of the leadership of working people that is emerging here and there across this country and around the world," Williams said. "We put forward a fighting, internationalist program to defend workers and farmers from the devastating effects of the capitalist economic crisis. We explain how the only way we can possibly begin to fight to win is by organizing to fight to take power out of the hands of the superwealthy--and numerically tiny--capitalist ruling class. To do this we need a revolutionary party capable of leading tens of millions of working people in that battle."

Williams said the campaign will speak in defense of the five Cuban revolutionaries framed-up by the U.S. government and sentenced to prison terms from 10 years to life for conspiracy to commit "espionage" and "murder."

"Our campaign is building support for Michael Italie, a garment worker who was the Socialist Workers candidate for mayor of Miami. He was fired from his job by Goodwill Industries because he spoke against the war in Afghanistan and called for defense of the Cuban Revolution during a televised candidates debate," Williams said. "Workers should have a right to express their opinions without being afraid of losing their jobs. This is even more outrageous because Italie was fired for saying something when he wasn't even at work."

The socialist candidate took up some of the political questions raised by incumbent mayor Sharpe James, who is running for reelection, and another Democratic mayoral candidate, Cory Booker, a 32-year-old Central Ward council member.

In his State of the City address January 31 James touted a list of buildings and new housing constructed during his 16-year tenure as reasons why he should stay in the mayors office. The buildings, which include a performing arts center and a baseball stadium in the downtown area, are hailed as a "renaissance" in a city where dilapidated and vacant buildings fill the downtown area.

Booker called James a "downtown mayor not a mayor of neighborhoods." One of the city councilman's campaign brochures mailed out to thousands of households in the city declares in reference to James, "It's time for a renaissance for the rest of us." Booker launched his run for office by living in a trailer for several months in various parts of the city in order to gain a better understanding, he says, of the situation facing regular people in Newark.

Williams said he and other working people in Newark don't need to move into a trailer to know the conditions they face. He pointed out that the social crisis in Newark is similar to, if not worse than, that facing workers and oppressed nationalities in cities across the country. This includes rising joblessness and a soaring infant mortality rate, which according to recent statistics from public health agencies is the worst in the state.

"The unemployment rate in Newark is 8.1 percent," the socialist candidate said. "This far exceeds the average in the rest of the country, which is currently 5.8 percent. These problems are social questions that won't be solved in Newark alone. It will take a broad social movement of millions of working people to change these conditions. That's why my campaign calls for a government-funded public works program to provide jobs for all. We also call for raising the minimum wage to a level where working people can receive a decent income. It takes a social movement to effectively fight for these demands."

Williams also took up the pro-cop stance of both Booker and James. Booker's program is one of law and order, calling for 200 more cops to be placed on the streets under the guise of combating "drugs and gang violence."

"The last thing we need are more cops in our neighborhoods," said Williams. "The police defend the interests of the government they serve, which is a government of big business. They serve to bring violence against workers, especially those who are Black and Latino, and frame-up working people from Newark to Los Angeles. We join actions against police brutality and call for jailing cops who kill people--like the killers who gunned down African immigrant Amadou Diallo a couple of years ago in New York. The cops who brutalized Abner Louima should not be let off the hook but remain in jail."

Williams called for supporting the upcoming walk by widows of coal miners who are demanding the federal government fully fund the benefit program for miners who contract black lung disease. They are organizing rallies and events along their route from Charleston, West Virginia, to Washington. "These fighting women are setting an example for the entire labor movement," Williams said. "We need to encourage our co-workers and union locals to join them in this fight."

Those who would like to join the socialist campaign effort can call 973-643-3341 or e-mail the campaign at swpnewark@–yahoo.com.

Nancy Rosenstock is a member of the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees.  
 
 
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